- - Bowen Yang leaving 'Saturday Night Live' after 6 years in shock exit

Anna Kaufman, USA TODAYDecember 20, 2025 at 5:24 AM

0

Bowen Yang attends the 2025 Girls Write Now Awards at DVF Studio on Oct. 9, 2025, in New York City.

Bowen Yang is exiting Studio 8H.

After a wildly successful tenure on the show, Yang, 35, will exit the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in the midst of Season 51, USA TODAY has learned. Yang will leave following the Dec. 20 episode, Today.com and People report.

USA TODAY has reached out to "SNL" and Yang for comment.

The comedian joined the "SNL" cast in 2018, quickly amassing a cult fan base as he moved from writer to featured player to gold star cast member.

His unexpected goodbye comes as the show is in its 51st season, and on the heels of several high-profile departures. Both Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, who had spent several years on the storied sketch comedy show, shocked fans when they announced before the October premiere that they would not be returning. Their exits came amidst a wave of departures that also included Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim.

While "SNL" is widely regarded as one of the most coveted comedy gigs in the industry, many stars have since parlayed their appearance on the show into a wider fame. Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph are just several names once listed after that signature "Live from New York" announcement.

Yang, for his part, appears positioned to make that transition easily. Having snagged a costarring role in both "Wicked" and "Wicked: Part 2," the comedian's big screen bona fides are hardly in doubt. His podcast, "Las Culturistas," which he co-hosts with friend Matt Rodgers, has also earned independent acclaim.

The iHeart Media show regularly hosts A-listers like Reese Witherspoon and former first lady Michelle Obama, and has spawned a popular awards show now broadcast on Bravo.

News of Yang's exit comes as "Wicked" costar Ariana Grande is set to host the show this Saturday, Dec. 20. Cher will serve as the musical guest. Speaking to USA TODAY at the 2024 Writers Guild of America Awards prior to his exit, Yang named Cher as his dream "SNL" host: "Cher. It's always Cher."

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' star Bowen Yang leaving cast with Ariana Grande, Cher episode

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”